A Matter of Time
by Little Comet
Summary: The Voyager is back in action, and this time with new crew members. Annie goes to sleep after a long day in Engineering, and wakes up in bed with a man she’s never met before. Is it a Holodeck program, or reality?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Voyager; I can only claim a handful of characters who will appear in this story. (Why do we even put disclaimers in? Is it some attempt to make sure people know we're not stealing copyrights or something?)

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Annie put a hand to her forehead and rubbed her temples. She'd just finished a double shift in Engineering and was exhausted. They were experiencing problems with the warp core, and they were dangerously close to a war zone. So far, they hadn't been struck by enemy fire, but there was no saying when someone would get trigger happy and mistake them for the enemy.

"Computer, dim the lights to fifty percent." She said as she stepped into her quarters. The light in the room reduced dramatically. Lights always bothered her when she had headaches, and now was one of those times. She went straight to the bathroom to start getting ready for bed. The first thing she did was take a pair of pajamas from the shelf next to the mirror. She changed out of her uniform and into the pajamas, then brushed her teeth. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she groaned quietly.

"Ugh, I must be getting sick." Her fair skin was paler than normal, and combined with the headaches, that wasn't a good thing, "I'm putting in for vacation after this. Or a week on the Holodeck." If all went well, they would b back on Earth in a week. But, there was still the problem with the warp core to worry about.

"Couldn´t I have picked a normal desk job? Noo, I chose to be an engineer, so I could make the old man proud of me." She muttered to herself as she brushed her hair out. Like most of the other women on the ship, she kept her hair tucked up. As a result, her hair ended up wavy in some spots, and completely straight in others. Not that it mattered, because she was going to wash it in the morning. She finished getting ready to go to sleep, and then went to her bedroom.

Like the other quarters, hers was the standard gray found on all Starfleet vessels. She kept family photos on the wall, and candles in the windowsills. Most of the pictures were her with her brother, the person she was closest to. Her parents divorced while she was in her first year at the Academy. Her brother, just two years older, was also at the Academy, and it was difficult time for both of them. But, it had made their bond stronger. They were together so much that people often mistook them for a couple instead of siblings. The candles were reminders of her mother, who always kept candles in the house. At night, her mother would light the candles in the whole house. Now, even when they weren't lit, the candles served as a reminder of calm, happy times when her family was still together.

She took a lighter from the small table beside her bed, and lit the candle in the windowsill next above her bed.

"This one´s for you, Mom." She whispered, looking out in the vast space. All she could see were billions of stars, and a handful of planets off in the distance. With a sigh, she turned away from the window and climbed into bed. She pulled the blanket up around her shoulders, and closed her eyes. She could feel herself slowly falling asleep, and welcomed the escape it gave her.

Meanwhile, on the bridge…

"Captain, we´ve just been struck by enemy fire." Tuvok informed Captain Janeway from his station. Janeway looked back at him from her chair.

"Which would explain why it felt like we just got hit." She replied, sounding a little irritated.

"Well, maybe it was just an accident." Tom reasoned, trying to deny what they were all thinking.

"Let's hope you're right, Tom." Janeway responded. They exchanged an anxious look. Another jolt shook the ship, then was followed by yet another.

"Once could have been mistaken as an accident, Captain, but this is obviously an attack. I suggest we either retreat or retaliate in like manner." Janeway rose from her seat and looked out at the battle being waged in front of them.

"I'd rather take the first option, but we still don't have the warp core back online." She said, turning to face the crew. Tuvok looked up from his controls.

"One of the ships has broken away from the battle and is heading straight for us." He stated in typical Vulcan manner.

"Open a channel." Janeway told Tom.

"Channel is open." Tom reported. Janeway nodded.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Starship Voyager. We are peaceful explorers, and have no wish to hurt anyone. We are here while we repair our warp core. Please, cease fire, or I will be forced to take action." She looked up to Tuvok, waiting for a response. The ship shook again.

"Shields are down to seventy-three percent, Captain." Janeway signalled that she'd heard.

"Fire torpedoes, Mr. Tuvok."

"Engineering to Bridge, we´ve been hit down here!" B´Elanna´s voice came over the intercom.

"How´s it coming with the warp core?" Janeway asked.

"Okay, but some of the other systems are going haywire. I can't keep up with the repairs while we're under attack."

"We've returned fire, and hopefully they´ll back off. You'll just have to hang in there."

"Understood. B´Elanna out." Janeway looked back up at Tuvok.

"Other than Engineering, what levels have been hit?" She asked.

"Levels 11, 14, and 22. Nobody has reported any injuries, though."

"Keep me posted." Janeway replied, "I'll be in my ready room."

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A/N: This is my first serious Voyager fanfic, so please let me know how I'm doing. I'm sure I'll make mistakes about the crew and the ship, so I hope you guys will help me out!

L.C.


	2. Chapter 2

Annie was suddenly aware of being awake. She felt like she'd just fallen asleep, and wondered what had woken her up. Knowing she needed to be ready for the early shift tomorrow, she tried to go back to sleep. After several minutes, she gave up. She opened her eyes, ready to get out of bed and atleast do something other than sit in bed and try to fall back to sleep. What she saw made her stop. The room she was in was not hers; it wasn't any room on Voyager. Instead of the room she'd been sleeping in for the past five months, she saw what looked like a ranch house from the early 21st century.

"Annie, is everything okay?" She heard a male voice ask softly. _What is a man doing in my quarters?_ She asked herself, feeling herself starting to panic. A hand touched her shoulder, and she immediately stiffened.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my bed?" She asked, trying to hide the fact that she was scared. The hand gently tugged, and she rolled over to face the owner. The man looked confused, and possibly hurt.

"Hey, are you alright? Annie, it's me, Derrin, your husband." He kept his voice low, but Annie could tell he thought he was serious. She tried not to recoil from his touch. He looked like he was probably in his mid-twenties, with dark brown hair and even darker eyes. In the dark, it was difficult to identify him any further.

"I don't know who you are, or how I got here, but this isn't right." She declared, inching away from him. As she out her hand out to push the blanket off, she realized she wasn't wearing her pajamas. They were pajamas all right, but not hers. They were blue, too, but a much darker blue than the ones she wore on Voyager. And plush. Her hand went to her chest to push her intercom, but there was no intercom. Was this somebody's practical joke with the holodeck? The man moved toward her, making her move back into action. She got out of the bed as fast as she could and moved towards the door. The man followed.

"Annie, did you have a nightmare or something? I've never seen you act like this before!" He asked, following her. He was dressed in dark green pants and a white tank top. Even though it was dark, Annie could see his well-defined biceps and knew she wouldn't be able to escape if he got a hold of her. Wrapping her arms around herself as a kind of barrier, she walked backwards until she hit the door. It was just as real as the pajamas she was wearing, and she could tell without looking that it was made of wood. The man stepped closer and put his hands on her elbows.

"Please, Annie, talk to me!" He pleaded softly, his fingers softly brushing her skin. She flinched automatically. She glanced down at his hands, then up at his face.

"Don't—don't touch me." She said softly. None of this made sense. This wasn't a Holodeck program that she recognized, and she'd just been in her quarters on Voyager. To her surprise, and relief, the man let his hands fall to his side. "I don't understand what's happening here. I was just in my room aboard the starship Voyager. I have no idea who you are, or where I am." Derrin nodded, and stepped back a little.

"I know." He replied, sounding defeated. Annie felt a surge of hope, but it crashed down when he spoke again, "Honey, you got sick right after we went that Voyager reunion two weeks ago. You've been having hallucinations since then." _Hallucinations?_

"No, that's not true!" She insisted, feeling her temper starting to flare, "I've been living on Voyager since they rescued me and my other crew members five months ago. Our ship crashed, and we were all reassigned to Voyager." Derrin shook his head slightly.

"Listen to me." He put his hands on her again, but this time she didn't pull away, "The virus you have makes you hallucinate. The doctor said your hallucinations would seem very realistic because of your condition."

"My condition?" She asked slowly. She hadn't been sick since coming on board Voyager, unless sleep deprivation counted as an illness. Derrin smiled slightly, and his hands moved down to her hips.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart. You didn't forget, did you?" He teased slightly.

"Forget what?" She asked, beginning to get frustrated with this nonsense.

"We just found out yesterday that we're gonna have a baby, honey!" _Pregnant_? She pushed his hands away and moved to the side. Was someone trying to play a sick game with her mind?

"That can't be, it's impossible!" She replied quickly. _But only if this _is_ fake._ Derrin laughed like she was being silly.

"Well, nothing else could explain why you've been having morning sickness and how we got to see the baby yesterday." Her hands automatically went down to her stomach.

"_We_ saw it yesterday?" She asked incredulously, "Yesterday I was on board Voyager, trying to repair the warp core." He put his arms around her in a tender gesture. Something about it seemed almost familiar, and she didn't struggle.

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that you had problems with the warp core your last week on Voyager." His voice was soft and soothing. "You guys got back okay, but you haven't been on Voyager since then." _What, did I retire?_ She wanted to ask him, knowing that nothing short of death or injury would make her leave Voyager. _Or, getting married and having a family_, she admitted to herself. Which appeared to be the case. She started to pace the room.

"Look, Derrin, I don't know how this happened, but in my reality, we've never met. Heck, I'm not even dating anyone." She used her hands for emphasis, "And since I'm not seeing anyone, and I'm not married, I can't imagine how I could be pregnant in this reality!" That was the part that was most confusing. How could she suddenly be pregnant in another reality? Did she somehow get transported to the future, or did she replace herself in an alternate reality? And either way, would she really be pregnant if they ran more tests?

Derrin rubbed the back of his neck, looking frustrated for the first time.

"Look, I don't know what happened, either." He stated, "But, I do know that we met the same week you came home. We started seeing each other, and then got married almost a year later. We've been married for two years now." _Well, that would explain why I've never seen you before_. Still, what he said couldn't have been rehearsed. He looked so serious about it that Annie started to believe him.

"Ok, so I must have been sent to the future, then." She declared, "But it doesn't explain _how_ it happened. Seriously, I just fell asleep on Voyager. Falling asleep does not transport you to the future, last I checked."

"You're right, it doesn't." He agreed, folding his arms across his chest. "Sweetie, I'm tired, you're tired, so why don't we just go to sleep and try to figure this out in the morning?" Annie wasn't about to climb into bed with a man she didn't know, but didn't say that out loud. Derrin seemed to sense her hesitance.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll go sleep on the couch." He offered quietly. Before she realized what she was doing, Annie was refusing that idea.

"No, don't do that." She spoke faster than she meant to, and realized it probably sounded odd, "I don't want to kick you out of my—our room over something like this. If we really are married, then it's okay." Derrin searched her face, as if he was hoping to find something there that she wasn't saying.

"It's alright. I'll see you in the morning." With that, he left the room. Before shutting the door, he cast a lingering glance her way. Annie felt rotten inside, like it was her fault that this was all happening.

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A/N: So, I have to admit, I had this chapter finished when I posted the first chapter, but I wanted to see people´s reactions first. And, as always, lemme know what you think. 

L.C.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, I was going to post this forever ago, but forgot about it. I found it the other day, and realized the formatting had been corrupted. So, I patched it all back together, and hopefully it´s something worth reading!

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Kathryn Janeway stood in Sickbay with the Doctor, listening to his report

"It's really quite unusual, Captain. I've never heard of anything like this." He said, using his index finger to point at the screen in front of them, "When she came in for her check up two weeks ago, everything was normal. But, now, looking at the results of the scans I've just done, it's like we're looking at a different person." Kathryn nodded, then glanced into the other room where Annie was sitting on one of the beds. She watched as Annie swung her feet back and forth, obviously nervous. She remembered Annie telling her that hospitals, and infirmaries, made her nervous. She realized the Doctor was talking to her again, and directed her attention back to him.

"According to genetics, we're looking at Annie Jensen. But, her hormone levels are unusually high. The only thing know of that would elevate her hormone levels like this are pregnancy." He said, pointing to the computer on his desk. Kathryn looked at him questioningly.

"She's pregnant?" She blurted, her eyebrows rising dramatically, "I will not have another pregnant woman on this ship, not after Ensign Wildman and B´Elanna." She was adamant, which didn't surprise the Doctor in the least. After being out in space for seven years, it had become Janeway´s unofficial policy that all pregnant women were sent back to Earth or a nearby space station. To her relief, the Doctor shook his head.

"No. Although these readings would indicate otherwise, there was no fetus present when I scanned her." Then, as if he knew what question was about to follow, he continued, "There is also no sign of a miscarriage." Kathryn shook her head in confusion, then stepped closer to the glass. The Doctor followed her and spoke quietly,

"She seems to be having a hard time. It might help if you would go and talk to her."

"All right, I'll see what I can do, Doctor." She bobbed her head once in dismissal. The Doctor smiled, and opened the door to the adjoining room.

Annie looked up from the floor when Kathryn walked up to her.

"Captain," She stood immediately, "You have no idea how good it is to see you!" She tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Her green eyes showed signs of strain, and she obviously hadn't slept in a while.

"Please, Annie, sit back down." Kathryn indicated for Annie to take her former seat. Annie did so, keeping her eyes on Kathryn the whole time. Neither of them spoke for a moment, leaving an awkward silence in the room.

"I know my story sounds pretty strange." Annie finally said, "I mean, I've travelled through time, and in one of those times, I was living a totally different life!" Kathryn nodded, but didn't say anything. Annie continued,

"It feels like ages since I've been aboard Voyager, but I know it really hasn't been." Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulders, but the natural blonde highlights were no longer there. Kathryn watched her for a moment. She knew it was the same person on her crew, but there was a maturity in her eyes that hadn't been there even the day before.

"You really were pregnant, weren't you?" Kathryn asked, her voice low. Annie met her gaze and nodded.

"I was. I'm sure you can imagine what it felt like when the Doctor told me that I wasn't pregnant." Kathryn didn't say anything, but simply nodded. Few of the crew members knew it, but she had suffered a miscarriage in her early twenties. Annie put her hands in her lap, with her palms facing up. "I just found out that I was pregnant, Captain," Annie's eyes started to tear up as she continued, "but now I come here, and I'm not anymore. It's like this part of me has been taken away, and I didn't even know it was there two days ago." One hand went down to her abdomen, and it was obviously a subconscious action.

"Annie, we'll get this all figured out." Kathryn promised reassuringly, rising from her seat, "And in the mean time, do you think you can help us get the warp core back online?" Her last comment was said with a smile, and Annie smiled back.

"I'll do what I can." She replied.

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Annie leaned against the kitchen counter, looking over at Derrin.

"Ok, I don't know much about time travel, but I do know enough to realize that if I'm here, then the Annie from your time has to be somewhere as well." She stated.

"I know, and that's the part that doesn't make sense." Derrin agreed with a brief nod of the head, "I've never heard of anyone replacing themselves in the future." _Or past_, Annie added silently. _At least in the past I could make up some stupid story, and everyone would believe me._

"Especially not taking on certain, characteristics, of themselves in that time." Annie added quietly. She hadn't intended for Derrin to hear it, but the hurt look on his face made her realize he did. She sighed, leaning forward to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Gosh, Derrin, I shouldn't have said that." She apologized, "It must be very hard for you right now." Derrin looked at her, but didn't say anything. She could see the longing in his eyes, and knew he wanted her to be the Annie from the future. _He wants you to be his wife, regardless of which time you're from._

"It's not your fault, honey, don't worry about it." He replied, sounding tired. He rubbed the back of his neck, a motion that Annie had become quite familiar with in the past few hours. Annie wished she could just become a part of this reality, and not worry about anything else. _Not about why I'm here, where the future me is, or even how Voyager is doing._ But, she knew she didn't belong there, and her conscience was nagging at her from the back of her mind. She felt like two different parts of her were fighting, and she just wanted a compromise. _But there is no such thing as a compromise in this kind of situation. It was impossible to start with!_


End file.
